Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
MILES
Or maybe I just really needed my brother for a little while. Spending time with him felt good, even if there were no easy solutions.
When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed the light on in the kitchen. If I knew Loxley as well as I thought I did, she’d probably made a pot of coffee and was nursing a cup while scribbling down lyrics.
But when I walked through the door, she was standing there, unchanged from the clothes she wore to dinner, a look in her eyes I couldn’t quite place.
“Are you okay, baby?” I asked softly, approaching her and cradling her face in my hands.
She started nodding but quickly changed her mind, shaking her head and then shrugging. “I don’t know.”
“What happened? Talk to me,” I urged, my heart tightening with worry. My mind raced. Had she figured out who the stranger looking for me was? My fear grew, but I forced myself to focus on her. She was here. She was safe. But there was something raw and unsettled in her expression.
“I—I…” she started but stopped herself, looking up at me again. Her voice softened. “I think I was a little jealous.”
“Jealous?” I repeated, confused.
“The last time you went to the bar because Blue called, you asked me if I was jealous.”
“You know I was teasing you.”
“I do, but…” She hesitated, her chin trembling slightly. “I think maybe it was a little true.”
I cupped her face tighter, forcing her to meet my eyes. “I promise, there’s no reason to feel jealous. Blue’s just a friend, but you…you’re so much more than that to me.”
She nodded, but the slight tremble in her lips didn’t go away.
Her eyes brimmed with emotion I couldn’t name, and I knew that wasn’t the time to bring up the man who had been asking for me.
That would only amplify her unease. All I wanted in that moment was to take away whatever was weighing on her heart.
“Do you want me to prove it to you?” I teased, brushing my lips against hers.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking under the weight of emotion I still couldn’t fully understand.
I lifted her into my arms, and she wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her through the house to my room. Laying her gently on the bed, I noticed her trembling, not just with need, but with anticipation.
I undressed quickly, and together we peeled off her clothes until nothing separated us. Climbing over her, I paused, pressing my forehead to hers.
“There’s fear in your eyes,” I said softly, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “But there’s no reason to be scared. You’re always safe with me.”
As those words lingered in the air, I pushed into her, slow and deliberate, wanting to convey everything I couldn’t yet say. We stayed still, the connection between us deeper than the physical. Her breaths became mine, and mine became hers, as our eyes locked in a silent conversation.
And then, little by little, the fear in her gaze gave way to something else—trust, safety, and love.
I moved, but it wasn’t hurried. It wasn’t frantic. It was a rhythm of understanding and a need to reassure her. Her fingers dug into my back, holding on to me, making me feel like I was doing something right.
“You feel so perfect,” I murmured against her neck, trailing kisses along her throat. My hips began to move a little faster and her back arched beneath me.
Her legs wrapped tighter around me, pulling me deeper, and her moans grew louder with every thrust. I watched her face, the way her lips parted and her eyes fluttered shut, completely lost in the moment.
“Look at me,” I said, my voice rough with need. Her eyes opened, locking onto mine, and the connection between us was electric. I leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that was both tender and ravenous, as though I could pour everything I felt for her into that single moment.
My pace quickened, each thrust more urgent than the last, and her cries of pleasure spurred me on. Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, and her body moved in perfect sync with mine.
“Tell me you’re mine,” I growled, needing just as much reassurance as she did.
“I’m yours,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Then she tensed beneath me, reaching her peak. The sight of her unraveling pushed me over the edge, and I followed her, collapsing into her arms as waves of pleasure crashed over us.
We stayed tangled together, our breathing slowing as the aftershocks faded. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, holding her close as I whispered, “You’ll always be safe with me, Loxley. Always.”
After a few minutes, we both started to relax, and we fell asleep to the comfort of knowing how much we both needed the promises we made that night.
Unfortunately, when I woke up the next morning, everything I thought I knew was over, and the reality of what I had done hit me hard. I broke my own rules, I fell for the girl I promised to keep safe, and in the end…she ran.